Sloth World, an animal attraction in development in Orlando on International Drive, is drawing attention after state records showed that more than 30 sloths died prior to the attraction’s opening.
Details outlined in a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) show the deaths occurred across two separate animal shipments in late 2024 and early 2025.
According to investigators, the first group of sloths arrived from Guyana in December 2024 and was kept at a nearby off-site warehouse. All 21 of those animals died, with the report attributing those deaths to cold exposure.
Information gathered by the FWC suggests the holding facility may not have been fully operational when the first shipment arrived.
The conditions were outlined in a report from an August 2025 inspection, later made public by Inside Climate News.
Peter Bandre, referenced in the report, previously served as vice president of Sloth World and was a business partner of owner and president Ben Agresta, though he has since left the business. He claimed that the facility lacked basic utilities, including electricity and water, when the animals arrived and depended on space heaters connected from another building. He further stated that a tripped fuse disrupted those heaters, leaving the sloths without heat for a period during a cold stretch.
In comments to FOX 35 Orlando, a former Sloth World co-owner pushed back on the FWC’s findings, claiming the sloths died from a virus instead.
A second shipment, arriving from Peru in February 2025, also resulted in losses. Two animals were already dead upon arrival, and the remaining eight were described by investigators as being in severely weakened condition. None survived.
Despite the number of animal deaths, the FWC did not issue fines or formal penalties. The agency stated there was no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing or refusal to follow care regulations.
When officials visited the warehouse in August 2025, six sloths remained on-site. However, inspectors flagged compliance issues, noting that some of the enclosure sizes did not meet minimum standards, and there was no record indicating when they were placed within the cages. Those findings resulted in a verbal warning rather than formal enforcement action.
A report from Inside Climate News found that Sloth World does not have a license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is required to exhibit animals to the public. Sanctuary World Imports, a related import company, similarly does not hold a USDA license.
Sloth World is still moving forward with plans to open on International Drive. As of publication, Sloth World’s website indicated the attraction is expected to open “in about 21 days.”
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